We have been given God in our souls and Christ in our flesh. We have the power to believe where others deny, to hope where others despair, to love where others hurt.

God is loving us - you and me - this moment, just as we are and not as we should be.

Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.

Hope knows that if great trials are avoided great deeds remain undone and the possibility of growth into greatness of soul is aborted.

Whatever we have done in the past, be it good or evil, great or small, is irrelevant to our stance before God today. It is only NOW that we are in the presence of God.

Put bluntly, the American church today accepts grace in theory but denies it in practice. We say we believe that the fundamental structure of reality is grace, not works - but our lives refute our faith.

Ruthless trust ultimately comes down to this: faith in the person of Jesus and hope in his promise.